2007/12/22

I brought MacBook (2.31 kg) with me to Australia. It's heavy and huge. I have been afraid of someone will steal it some day since my foot on the land. No doubt it's convenient to be with an own computer, which can store some movies, documents, melodies, and etc.. Like a double-ended blade, at the same time, it's inconvenient to carry such a valuable item while traveling. It adds more weight on my shoulders, slows my steps, and occupies large space.

Being an alone traveler, no one could watch for my luggage while leaving the dorm. Whether it's a long-time absence or going to bathroom, that makes the baggage be in a dangerous state. After three weeks living in Australia, I regretted carrying my MacBook, well, a little bit.

I suppose that the better way is to carry a portable hard drive to store everything you need. It can also backup the photos from digital camera. Then, when needed, go to internet cafe or state library with free computers to use, just use the computers there. Well, this way doesn't satisfy everyone's need. But I think it does for me.

Even better, if I could get a Doraemon's 4-dimensional pocket, then I would put all items in it. Wow! So nice.

By the way, I'm in state library of Victoria which is large and with many desk. Something strange to me is that a guy sitting near me, who is using notebook computer and earphone to talk to someone in someplace in the world. Faint, this is library. Library! Don't do that. Please.

I wen to Melbourne from Sydney by train. Operated by CountryLink and the map is here. It took me eleven hours. Wow. I started off 8:40 at night so I had to sleep on train. That's not comfortable but it saved me one night accommodation.

Arrived in Melbourne 7:35 in the morning, and it was raining. A few steps I figured out the location of the accommodation hostel. I would live here for three nights in a 10-beds room. Only 13 AUD per night and free breakfast. Wow! After checked in, I started to fool around.

There is a free tram service, City Circle, which as its name implies routes around the city. Excellent, so I don't have to spend any cent on transportation except going to far away areas such as beaches or others.

2007/12/17

Today I went to an internet cafe for printing some documents. Expensive, one dollar for half an hour and thirty cents for one A4 printing. Wow, 9 NTD per one page. Faint.

Inside there, computer hardware is good, screen is large. I saw Americans, Europeans, and Asians. The one I went to is seemingly hold by Korean. The clerk girl is Korean. The Windows OS is Korean version. It's a little bit strange to me.

Although the area is near to China town. There are also many Korean shops including internet cafes, groceries, and restaurants.

I traveled to Osaka and Tokyo in Japan, Sabah in Malaysia, now Sydney in Australia. The prices of commodities of all these places are higher than Taiwan. "That's not fair." I snapped. May the money in my pocket die in peace.

New year is approaching. I heard from the owner of the house I lived in that for new year eve there will be incredible many backpackers and travelers coming to Sydney. And so, then any bit of the house land will be occupied. Even in the backyard, there will be some people camping there. And the living room, the walkway, even the shareroom supposed to be for three people now will be for five or six people.

Wow, that's awesome.

I don't like crowd much though I have lived in a crowded city, Taipei, for all my life. However I inhabited Taipei county where is less crowded than the downtown of Taipei city. I would plan to escape from crowded Sydney.

Sydney is the famous place for crossing new year eve. No doubt so many human beings will come here to celebrate that crossing moment and shout together "Happy New Year" together. Although I imagine that's very exciting. But I don't intend to do that. Every years in Taipei sat in front of TV and that has never inspired me to do the same.

That's a little bit sick. I'm in Sydney, why in the name of heaven should I leave? Why not stay? I don't know. Maybe, perhaps, because I have no accommodation for 12/31. Maybe because I don't wanna act like others. But what do I want? Good question. Again I bounce back to the very original question.

Whatever. I heard that leaves koala eating are poisonous. What a jerk! So the koalas have to spend all day long to do detoxification. That's why koalas are always sleeping. Faint.

2007/12/16

"What am I doing?" I muttered to myself. After two weeks since I came to Sydney, nothing special or meaningful had been done. I had taken many pictures, had walked several miles, and had seen tons of people and flocks of animals from countries and continents. But I have yet to get the point.

"What have I done?" I mumbled. It would be very funny that no gains after one year around Australia. Then I should cry, howl, and sob. "Go back home, go back to clutch something real and concrete." snapped by one voice in my head. Sometimes we could get one thing by repeatedly trying and approaching, but sometimes couldn't. "Only who endures all of those pains and loneliness can taste the sweet apple." echoed from another voice in my brain.

We know that holding two compasses will make you confused while sailing on seas. One or three is ok. But two isn't. Now that two twisting voices are continuously shouting and yelling in my little pin-pointed small-sized head as though it's a nasty place nobody cares its quietness.

In the movie Good Will Hunting, the older asked the younger: what do you wanna do?

I don't know and I don't have straight answer to this simple question same with the younger in the movie. I'm still in search of something. Something I don't know.

2007/12/14

In the new accommodation, there are total six members. In the living room, mother and two sons sleep there. The two sons are about ages of junior high school. In the guest room, there are three beds. A 17-year-old man studies in Australia. And me. And yesterday night came a girl. She also holds working holiday visa and has been in Australia for half a year. Originally lived and worked in Perth, West Australia. Take an almost-three-day long trip to Adelaide by train, then fly to Sydney prepared to across the new year. Her luggage is one big backpack and one small backpack. Heavier than mine! I admire her.

I'm wondering going to Melbourne and try to get a farming job there. I called to harvest information center and there is no job in New South Wales. Faint. I'm worried about getting a job.

To amu and fruta, by the way, I saw several bottles with the mark "isotropic"(sorry, I spelled it wrong. Should be "isotonix") in the accommodation. Wow.

2007/12/11

Today I got the mails, two important things. One is a bank account, another is TFN, tax file number.

Most employers will pay directly into your bank account. It's easy and convenient. So you must apply for one.

And TFN, which is a number issued by Australian Taxation Office, also must provided to the employers. In short, this is a legally number about tax. Yes, you have to pay part of earnings to the government.

So these two things are important for applying for a job. I think all equipments are ready. Let's go.

2007/12/10

Originally I thought it's not that hard to find a job. I heard that there are a lot of seasonal work vacancies when harvest season comes. Well, now I know I was a little bit optimistic.

Maybe there are many job opportunities, but there are also many backpackers and working holiday holders here. From state to another state, from this store to that farm. The jobs can only be earned if only you try harder than others. Or no one will come to you automatically.

I've seen many people from different countries living in the hostel. German, Italy, American, Israel, Denmark, and etc.. In fact I didn't ask them where are they from. I just made a guess. They speak languages strange to me. They cook their own food unfamiliar to me. Their look of faces seems far away from me.

I'm bored with the food I've cooked. Next time in kitchen, I'm going to ask them what food they cook and how.

Two days after that charming night, I spent more time wondering around in the kitchen. I hoped to see the charming lady again. Unfortunately, she just disappeared. This is normal in hostels. Boys and girls come and go. Men and women live in and leave away. Although disappointed at no seeing those enchanting eyes, I met two guys.

One is much older than me and trying to get Ph.D. of politics in Australia. He works for the hostel to exchange the accommodation. I talked to him to practice English.

Another comes from Taiwan and have lived here for 4 months. Graduated from Taiwan's medical school and planned to get master degree in Australia. But encountered a lot of unlucky problems, he'll go back to Taiwan next Monday. He told me a lot of experience. Thank you.

2007/12/08

Today morning I talked a little much with my roommate, Adam, who is an Australian citizen from Israel. He told me how to get a job. But after searching on internet, perhaps his advices doesn't work for me very well. Originally I expected finding a job won't be too difficult. Now I changed my mind. Time waits for no one. Opportunity is always belong to who prepared well.

Yesterday night, after one week passed, I had to wash my clothes and pants or be naked. I brought all the stuff walked down to the laundry. Wow, so great, such a charming lady. I'm not good and guess the age of women, especially non-eastern faces. But she won't be above 25. I took a look at the washer and the notice board. Well, I thought the hostel would provide the ponder for free or charged but I was wrong. So I asked her. She seemed not good at English speaking. That's strange to me. I thought every non-asians speak good English. Then, I forgot what I said and what she said. She walked away and came back with a box of powder on hands. Thank you very much. You did a good work to enchant me.

卻說不出在什麼場合我曾讓你分心Yet to tell in what situation I once made you distracted

說不出旅行的意義Can't tell the meaning to travel

你勉強說出你愛我的原因You're Constrained to tel the reason why you love me

卻說不出你欣賞我哪一種表情Yet to tell what kind of my expressions you appreciated

卻說不出在什麼場合曾讓你分心Yet to tell in what situation I once made you distracted

說不出離開的原因Can't tell the meaning to travel

勉強說出 你為我寄出的每一封信Constrained to say that every single mails you sent for me

都是你 離開的原因Are the reasons for you to leave

你離開我 就是旅行的意義Your leaving me is the meaning to travel

During the travel to Blue Mountains by train, I listened to this song repeatedly. We know that the real experience gives the song meanings and deep tastes. So I chewed every sentences. Originally, I would wanna do translation and match each sentence with one pictures from my recently shots. But it's hard. Some(or most) pairs just don't match. Well, let's see if I do it better next time.

I'm sorry to your song, Miss Chen Chi Jane. I messed it up.

I'm not 100% sure that every translations are correct. Tell me you find errors.

It's not easy to get internet access in Australia. Internet cafe is very expensive, one hour for two AUD, why don't you just rob me? The hostel I currently lived in has free internet access but upload speed is slow. Fortunately the state library of New South Wales provides free internet access and good speed. Well, but using after a while, the connection will be broken for a random amount of time and I don't know why. sigh...

I'm bored with writing boring blogs and wondering how to write blogs interestingly but only comes few ideas comes in my head. Let's see it in the future or please send suggestions to me. :)

I'll be rare on msn. If you got something to tell me, email me. If you had emergency to talk to me, ask for my new mobile phone number by email(I think this case won't happen ^_^).